Business
Back in the day, fine dining establishments had dress codes to keep a sense of decorum. You know, men and boys were required to wear jackets and ties. They would even have spare ones available for those who didn't know the drill. Go to certain town clubs today in New York City and some still do. But what about a dress code that oh so subtly calls for profiling based on what is commonly worn by one particular ethnic group? Yes, there's the "No Shirt No Shoes No Service" trifecta. But what about a place like Bottled Blonde in Chicago's River North area that has a lengthy dress code which includes no denim and no Jordan's (in a city synonymous with the basketball legend), no flannel and no un-zippered shirts? The list goes on -- No v-neck shirts. No cargo pants. No saggy pants. No acid wash jeans (do people still wear them?). No visible tattoos on neck, face or hands - that'll keep the prison crowd out. Who's left? Just a bunch of Notre Dame pre-meds, we suppose. And that's just the way a place like Bottled Blonde likes it. And it's not just in the Windy City. A bar in New Jersey bans oversized chains which we suspect is meant to keep out the descendants of all those who were once held in chains. But back to the Second City where race relations are already overheated, there's another place going after camouflage and asking patrons' shorts be at least one inch past the knee. So now we have to start carrying a tape measure every time we go out? On this episode of Tip Not Included, Host Eric Levine undresses how bars and restaurants use dress codes to exclude segments of the public from entering. Sure they're private establishments. But is it right? It is allowed? Is it legal, Judge Judy? Write to Eric at: eric@tipnotincluded.com